Balcones

Founded in Waco, Texas in 2008 by Chip Tate, Balcones has an excellent reputation and a troubled history. Chip set up the distillery in an old welding shop and named it after a fault line that runs through part of the state. Instead of buying in stills, he built his own - even making his own barrels. Idiosyncratic in every way, Balcones launched into an American whiskey market that was just about to explode. With a great liquid and a memorable character at the helm, things could not have started better. Although Garrison Brothers started production before them, Balcones was able to release the first legal Texan whiskey since Prohibition with the launch of Baby Blue, and it can be considered one of the earliest of the current wave of 'craft' American whiskey producers.

But in 2013 things started to go wrong. A major investment from Gregory Allen resulted in changes to the board, and while the first few months were better than ever as growth could take place, the relationship at the top started to go awry, resulting in Tate being sued by the others on the board, and countersuing himself. Eventually Tate left the following, under the proviso he could not make whiskey for 2 years. Tate would eventually go on to set up Tate & Co Distilling.

Despite the palaver in the background, Balcones continues to impress with an excellent range of spirits that feel Texan in every way, with current Head Distiller Jared Himstedt steadying the ship and maintaining quality.

Normally one would create a smoky flavour profile to a whiskey by using some kind of fire source to dry the barley following germination. But Balcones do something a little different for this release - they smoke the new make spirit made from blue corn itself using a 'secret process' involving Texas Scrub Oak.

What that process exactly is remains a mystery, but it's possible that smoke is infused into the liquid using centrifugal forces. Maturation also takes place in heavil charred oak barrels to emphasise smoky tones, which are big, bold and unapologetic. The smokiness is that of a campfire, with a hint of tar and menthol running through, alongside a sweetness from the corn. It takes some getting used to, but it's pretty unique in terms of flavour and is definitely a fun dram to pour for friends!